The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-06-22
THE CABLE COMPANY'S PLAN
Work Upon New Street-Railway Lines
WILDE Begun in About Two Months.
Col. Dudley Comments on Unfair Criticisms
of Enemies of His Enterprise-What the
Company Promises the Public.

nOfSe-un6 Poosco
men as it has the Councill inquired Journal
reporter of COL W. w. Dudley, yesterday.
'If our charter gets through said the Colonel
''the intention is, as get through at St
Paul, to come here and begin operations I will
be through at St. Paul between the 1st Of Aug
ust and LIST of September I am coming here
then to lay ont the plans and see what material
can be got here. Our intention is to get as much
material here as we can by bringing our pat
terms here and having our work done here.
Our impression is we shall be able to get the
larger proportion OF our material Of indianapolis
firms. We shall use large quantities of broken
stone sand cement, bricks, foundation and
stone There is excavation to be done, and large
employment for stone and brick masons. Our
ears will be the most modern and complete. and
we shall have the best of everything. We are
going to give Indianapolis the finest cable lines
in the country"
Judge Ingersoll one of the syndicate, here re-
marked that he had been about the city and
found it delightful 'Your Streets" said he,
"are magnificent and am only surprised that
your methods Of transportation should be what
they are when you deserve so much better"
Colonel Dudley then exhibited a small map Of
the city upon which he had drawn the proposed
cable lines with the horse-car feeder lines. The
plan ia to have miles of cable and the
horse lines to 60 out to the suburbs SO as to very
thoroughly cover the demand for transportation.
Looking at this map, one is astonished to see
that Johnsonism has left great amount Of good
territory, which keen-sighted capitalists are at
last to track and use to profit
sour branch lines will reach into the suburban
centers," said the Colonel. land wish to get
them under way in order TO work them feed
ers for the cable lines. We shall mules,
as horses give better service and speedier.
On the line to Crown Hill we shall probably use
h steam motor, q silent engine or electricity.
We want to get that line and the lines to Haugh-
vile. the Hospital for the Insane and to Wood
ruff Place going as soon as possible. We will
probably build the cable lines all at once If
either Is built first. it will be the one running
south from the Union Depot"
Colonel Dudley. in the evening referring to
article in the News, said: IF the author of
that article had been present at the Council
meeting and had heard the discussion that trans
pired previous to the passage of the ordinance,
his statements would, / presume, have heen
more accurate. Why, the News published the
Council was furnished with copy of the ordi-
nance early on Monday. so all the members had
full time to see it. large number of the mem
bers were met by persons well informed as to
the ordinance. The whole 6tdinance was talked
over and it's features explained IL ia doubtful if
any ordinance brought before that body has been
The ordinance as prepared contained section
providing for a 2 per cent. taxation of gross
ceipts in lieu of other city taxes And should
this road be chartered. 60 into operation and
succeed in earHipg much as the present CIti
zens' street railway, the city would receive about
four times much is now paid into the city
showever, by examining the statutes and decis-
ions of the Supreme Court, that the per cent
in lien of other taxes would be unconstitutional
aud Illegal all taxation is required to be uni
That being the case, the section was dropped
from the ordinance and was not q part of it
introduced by Councilman Thalman 1t was
amended, however, upon motion of Mr.. Cum
minRs, SO as to provide that the city reserve to
itself the right, after the company had been al
lowed to carry on business for five years upon
The ordinary taxation by way of assessment to
levy a special tax upon the gross receipts, OF 2
per cent. in addition to the ad valorem taxation.
1.-THE writer of that article in the News" the
Colonel continued, Estates that IL looks to him
il the company was more anxious to secure q
franchise than to build a cable line. In reply to
that have only to say that the gentlemen con-
stisuting the company seeking this franchise are
engaged in the business of building, owning and
operating cable street railways and have come
here for the purpose OF building and operating
a street railway on the cable system combined
with collateral branches to be operated by other
power, which will afford to Indianapolis what has
been long needed to place her upon q footing
with other cities of like Importance. This serv-
ice will be of the latest and most improved kind,
giving rapid transit. elegant cars and frst-cass
equipment You understand there is no dust on
cable lines. They make clean streets and there
are bad smells.
1.-THE News writer also takes exception to the
fact that we prefer to yield rather than contest
the expressed wish of the people of Tennessee
street In that connection / have to say that
the line given Mississippi street ia one
which, while presenting some advantages ovor
Tennessee street. possesses the one great ad-
vantage Of passing along a street that will al
ways of itself afford considerable traffic.
THE News article contains some remarkable
statements from Mr. E. +. Claypool, who speaks
from his experience in St Louis apparently
one of authority upon the subject of cable roads.
1t is rather dislngenuous, 1t strikes me, and
comes with bad grace from Mr.. Claypool, who
consumed a full year gathering material and
getting ready for operating a cable line three
and half miles in extent, to say that the time
granted the company in the franchise was not
needed for the proper preparation and perma-
nent and firsr-class structure which it is in
tended to place in the streets OF Indianapolis.
1t 10 probable that if our company would be con-
tent to Law in the ground an inferior construc-
ton, consisting of cod-shot iron. other inferior
material hastily thrown together IN a way that
would afford basis for a rapid sale of the prop
erty, that less time might be required than is
asked for by us. But we wish 1t understood by
the people of indianapolis that only the best of
iron. steel and concrete will be used in the con-
struotion of lines here, and that are
building the line for the purpose of owning and
operating the same upon such terms as the
franchise imposes, and with the full desire and
expectation to deserve the patronage of the pub
lie by giving them an adequate return for the
fare they pay. We have no fears but shall
supported in our efforts to accommodate the
people with rapid transit and good service.
eff the rumors which have heard are to be
relied upon. Mr.. Claypool's anxiety that this
road should not be allowed to approach the
Union Depot may be accounted for by the fact
that il the very moderate terms which Mr.. Clay
pool has offered for the Citizens street railway
and its franchises should be accepted, it would
perhaps incommode his arrangements for run
ming and operating his purchase. Mr.. Clay
POOLS prospective cars are permitted by an ordi-
nance already passed to enter the sacred pre-
cincts OF Jackson place and to completely oc-
rupy everT foot of space he desires therein. It
will however, be observed by careful reader
of the ordinance. that we do not propose nor
does the Council grant permission to US to run
mp into Jackson square but to occupy the new
street running therefrom, which is intended to
be fifty feet wide and which terminates at jack
son place. The argument Mr. Claypool to
exclude us from the Union Depot track, it seems
to me, would logically result in the resembling
by the Council of the privilege gran ted to the